Government sought to enforce a cone of silence around activists, according to a lawyer and a family member who said she was interrogated

China’s government has rejected a US state department call to release three activists detained while investigating a Chinese company that produced shoes for Ivanka Trump and other brands. It sought instead to enforce a cone of silence around the men, according to a lawyer and a family member who was interrogated and told not to speak to the foreign press.

Chinese police are cracking down on labor activists attempting to expose sweatshop-like working conditions at a local factory that manufactures shoes for Ivanka Trump’s label. One activist working on the campaign has been detained, while two others have disppeared, and are presumably in police custody, according to Western media reports.

Donald Trump’s daughter sparks ethics concerns after gaining approval in country where US business feels increasingly unwelcome

As Donald Trump and Chinese president Xi Jinping dined on Dover sole and New York strip steak earlier this month, thousands of miles away in China a government office quietly approved trademarks that could benefit the US president’s family.

On the day the president’s daughter Ivanka Trump met the Chinese leader, China granted preliminary approval for three new trademarks for her namesake brand, covering jewellery, bags and spa service, according to official documents.

Having slammed Rahm Emanuel earlier in the day for urging Democrats to “take a chill pill,” Rep. Elijah Cummings just couldn’t help himself after hearing Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway jokingly suggesting “go buy Ivanka [Trump]’s stuff” during a Fox News interview about retailers’ boycotting the first daughter. Cummings has demanded an ethics probe and disciplinary action.